When I Saw Him – Revelation 1
‘And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:’ — Revelation 1:17
The Apostle John was very familiar with Christ. He had seen Him, looked upon Him, heard Him and even touched Him (1 John 1:1-3). Yet, apart from the transfiguration, the Christ He saw on earth was robed in flesh and not in a glorified state. He was still God and still glorious but different in appearance to how He is in glory and how He is revealed in Revelation 1.
In Revelation 1, John sees Christ arrayed as a Judge, coming to judge the world and His churches. When John sees the glory, purity, eternity, and power of Christ, He fell at His feet as dead. This is the reaction of everyone who has seen and will see Christ in His glory. No one can see Him in His glory and not bow.
As we think about what will happen in the future and what God has in store, we know that Christ is in control. He has spoken, and He will act according to His righteous standards. The thing we need to do is by faith see Him and fall at His feet. We need to humble ourselves before Him and trust Him with all that is going on and all that will come.